The liberal hissyfit over President Trump ordering the fatal attack on Qassem Soleimani would be laughable were it not so hypocritical, unpatriotic and dangerous.
It is hypocritical because President Obama repeatedly launched drone attacks on terrorists, including the American Anwar Al-Awlaki without the Far Left uttering a peep of criticism.
It is unpatriotic because Soleimani was the head of the Iranian Quds force, which had waged war against Americans in Iraq for years — and because Soleimani had just been responsible for killing an American contractor as well as the assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
It is dangerous because a divided America just serves the interest of our enemies, including Iran.
Of course, Democrats are basing their criticism on the belief that Trump’s firm action will lead to retaliation by Iran against American interests. That IS laughable. When has Iran NOT acted against American interests? The drone attack on Saudi Arabia, the attacks on oil tankers, the Iranian presence in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen are all provocations against America and world peace.
Were Trump not to act in response to these provocations, and especially the recent events in Iraq, it would have merely emboldened Soleimani to escalate his anti-American activities. Indeed, the Trump administration assures us that Soleimani was currently plotting a terror attack against Americans in the Mideast. How could the president sit back and let that attack take place when he had the chance to intervene?
Democrats don’t seem to realize that war is an inevitable consequence of appeasement or weakness.
Consider that President Clinton had the opportunity to kill Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks. In one case, he tried and failed. In at least one other case, he or his team decided against proceeding, thus making it possible for bin Laden to continue plotting the 9/11 attacks that killed 3000 people and led to the long war in Afghanistan where many more Americans died.
The kind of surgical strike authorized by President Trump makes much more sense that the endless wars waged by Bush and Obama. Yes, the Iranians will try to retaliate, but they will pay a price. It is absurd to think of Trump’s decision in a vacuum. His patience with previous Iranian provocations could not continue forever, but instead of attacking Iran directly, he ordered an attack on a militant who was engaged in terrorism in a third country.
If and when the Iranians seek revenge, they will pay a price. They now know that, and it will inform all their decisions going forward.
By the way, all the liberals agree that Soleimani was a dangerous butcher who deserved to die, but they fear the consequences of making sure he did die. This is cowardice, plain and simple. You cannot condemn Nazi lawlessness and then say you won’t do anything to stop it. Stand up and do something.
That’s what President Trump did, and that’s what makes him a great leader.
WHO WE ARE
Frank Miele has spent four decades in the news business and now offers conservative commentary to counter the left-wing bias in the national media. If you enjoy reading these daily essays, I hope you will consider purchasing one of my books. They are available at Amazon in paperback or Kindle editions. My new book — “The Media Matrix: What if everything you know is fake?” — shows that Fake News has been around for years. The “Why We Needed Trump” trilogy tackles the politics of the last two decades: Part 1 is subtitled “Bush’s Global Failure: Half Right.” Part 2 is “Obama’s Fundamental Transformation: Far Left.” Part 3 is “Trump’s American Vision: Just Right.” Also consider subscribing to Heartland Diary on YouTube by clicking here for News Every Conservative Can Use.
I moved to Bigfork, Montana 15 years ago and discovered Frank at the Daily Interlake. His editorials and commentary were thoughtful, accurate and fair. Montana’s loss is the nation’s gain. Good luck Frank and keep on growing.